Trent barbel... On a lamprey?

Zander fishing on the River Trent, Greg Byatt had a shock when his lamprey head deadbait was picked up by a double-figure barbel!

The predatory bertie turned out to be a new personal best for Greg, spinning the scales round to 12lb 5oz.

Keen zander hunter Greg told Angling Times: “I initially thought it was a catfish or a huge zed as the fight was unbelievable.

“I got it close to the surface a couple of times and it steamed off again. I then decided it must be a big barbel, after hearing fishermens’ tales of them taking lamprey baits in the past.”

Greg did manage his target species in the same session, and on returning to the same stretch of the river a week later he claimed a personal-best zander of 11lb 1oz.